


Welcome to Penrose Hollows

by CiCiIvory



Series: Penrose Hollows [1]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Ghosts, Nyotalia, Vampires, Werewolves, Witches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-10
Updated: 2017-01-19
Packaged: 2018-09-16 14:22:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9275915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CiCiIvory/pseuds/CiCiIvory
Summary: In an attempt at a new, stress free life, Svea and her young son, Axel, move to the quiet town of Penrose Hollows, only to learn the peace they craved isn't happening anytime soon.





	1. Moving In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Svea and Axel move in, but Axel doesn't like the house. Doesn't help the roommates are completely weird.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Svea Oxenstierna ~ Nyo!Sweden  
> Axel Oxenstierna ~ Ladonia  
> Timo Väinämöinen ~ Finland  
> Piper Väinämöinen (Kirkland) ~ Nyo!Sealand  
> Lukas Thomassen ~ Norway  
> Mathilde Densen ~ Nyo!Denmark  
> Erikur Steilsson ~ Iceland

“It’s a quiet town,” the woman mused, adjusting her glasses as they drove down the forested back road. The young redhead next to her huffed, crossing his arms as the woman glanced over. She forced herself to smile. “You’ll like it, Axel.” 

“I liked the old place,” Axel muttered. He stared back at his reflection in the car window, tracing the large scar on his face with his fingers.

“The old place was far too expensive,” the woman snapped. “Axel, please. This is a new town. We can have a fresh start. No financial problems, no people judging us…”

“And no problems with Dad, I’m sure.” Axel snorted as his mother tensed him, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the steering tightly. “I don’t see why we have to move so far away from him.”

“I sent him all the information,” Svea said through a clenched jaw. “He has my number, my Skype, and even our address. He knows where to find us.” Axel scowled.

“Mom, how are you comfortable moving in with three random guys you’ve never met?”

“They seemed nice,” his mother responded. “There’s a girl there too. She’s a couple years older than you, but it’s okay. Penrose Hollows is a great place. Like I said, you’ll really like it, Axel.”

Axel sighed. “Yeah,” he muttered, “I hope I do too.”

 

**x x x**

 

“So, are we placing bets on how long these two last?” a sandy blonde haired teen asked, glancing out the window of as a moving van pulled up in front of the house. A short haired woman smiled, leaning over to hand her a mug, shrugging her should as she looked out the window. The man looked in and she waved, but he did not wave back.

The teen wrinkled her nose. “He can’t see you, you know,” she stated, looking at the woman who frowned. “Mathilde… you know that, _right_?”

“Some humans can! The delivery boy the other night did, Piper!” Mathilde argued. “And Lukas can!”

“Lukas isn’t…” Piper sighed. “Why does it matter if humans can see you or not?” Mathilde shrugged, giving Piper a sheepish smile as she shook her head. “Oh, Mattie, _no_!” she pleaded.

“What is Mathilde doing now?”

Dropping a duffle bag on the ground, the two females jumped as a boy with almost silver hair entered, crossing his arms. Piper rolled her eyes, muttering, “Mathilde wants to see if she can have the new roomies see her.”

Erikur bit his lip, shaking his head. “Mathilde, we cannot afford another set of roommates. The last one didn’t even last two weeks.”

“We’ve gone through five roommates in almost four months,” Piper added. Mathilde rolled her eyes.

“I would like to say two of those were not my fault,” Mathilde protested. “Those were because of dog related allergies. Remember?” Mathilde sent a glare towards Erikur who returned it with just as much venom. Piper snorted, standing up as she walked towards Erikur, sticking out her tongue as she made her way towards the kitchen.

“I told you we should’ve put him down!” she sang loudly as Erikur whirled around. As she entered the kitchen, a light haired blond man slung a towel over his shoulder, turning away from the sink as he leaned against the counter, sending Piper a disapproving look.

“You should really be nicer to that boy,” he said, crossing his arms. “And speaking of being nice…”

Piper rolled her blue eyes, muttering, “Oh, come off it, Timo. I’ll behave.”

“You know there’s a child moving in too, right?”

Piper frowned as she walked towards the fridge. “No, but I should be fine.” She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, glaring as Timo raised an eyebrow. “You act like it’s going to happen again.”

“Well, it could.”

“It was two years ago!”

“It was basically year ago,” Timo reminded. Piper stomped her foot.

“You have to give me a _little_ bit of credit, you know! You’re starting to sound like Lukas, the biggest, most up-tightiest jerk ever!”

Timo snorted at her use of vocabulary, watching her slam the fridge door shut. He sighed, looking down at the ground as he uncrossed his arms, grabbing the counter behind him. “I just want to reiterate how important it is you don’t… we don’t… us as a unit… we cannot afford any mistakes here.”

Piper opened the bottle and scowled. Before she could say anything, a voice sounded from the living room. “Speaking of not affording mistakes!”

Timo rolled his eyes, turning his attention back towards the dishes in the sink. Piper scoffed, “What is it _now_ Lukas?” She groaned loudly as a platinum blond popped his head into the kitchen, his eyes narrowed as she leaned against the kitchen island. “Did you accidentally get your broomstick stuck up your ass again?”

“Piper Anne,” Timo warned, using her full name as she snorted at her own joke. Lukas glared, turning his attention towards Timo didn’t look at Lukas, but shrugged anyway, knowing his friend did not approve of Piper’s comments. “Anyway, you were saying?”

“I think Mathilde should stay in the attic,” Lukas announced. “Especially at night. During the day, we’re all up enough that her movements can be covered up, but…”

Lukas jumped as a cold hand landed on his shoulder. “You _cannot_ be serious!” Mathilde shouted. “Lukas, this is _my_ house!” Lukas rolled his eyes as she drew her hand back, glaring at Lukas. “I lived here before any of you! My name is on the lease!” 

“This _was_ your house,” Erikur quietly reminded her from the living room. Mathilde shot him a look from over her shoulder, before turning back to Lukas. “But she does have seniority.”

“I’m sorry, but the last thing we need is her giving a kid nightmares because he’s convinced the house is haunted.” Lukas crossed his arms, adding, “You understand, don’t you?” 

“The house _is_ haunted,” Mathilde snarled.

“You don’t even pay rent,” Lukas retorted. “We can’t ignore the simple fact that Mathilde did cause the last three people to move out,” he mumbled.

“Two of those were my fault, yes,” Mathilde grumbled. Piper smirked.

“Erikur’s wet dog smell scared off the other off!” Piper joked. Lukas glared as Timo set a dish aside. Erikur tried to push past Lukas and Mathilde as Piper stood up, sticking out her tongue. “Down, boy!”

“Maybe we should just drive a stake through her heart!” Erikur shouted. Timo stepped forward, eyes turning completely dark and black as Lukas froze, shoving Erikur back into the living room.

“Guys, this is fucking ridiculous!” Mathilde shouted. “This whole thing has us on edge! Let’s just set the ground rule. No eating or killing the new roommates!” Timo’s eyes reverted back to their natural indigo color. He walked back to the sink as Erikur exhaled loudly behind him.

“No haunting them either,” Lukas growled. “Attic or else.”

“Oh, or else what?” Mathilde snapped. “Or else you’re going to help me crossover to the other side _finally_? Or give me a new human body?” Mathilde watched Lukas throw up his hands in anger, letting out a shout of anger as she rolled her eyes. “Thought so.”

“I’m with Lukas on this one, Mathilde,” Timo said, reaching into the sink to start draining it. Mathilde made a noise of disapproval as Piper glared at Timo. “Well, we really can’t… afford to lose this one now.”

“I think we’re overreacting a bit too much,” Piper deadpanned. Timo cleared his throat as the doorbell rang. Erikur waved to Mathilde, who quickly dashed towards the stairs, running up them as Erikur dashed to the door.

He opened it, smiling as a long, blonde haired woman whirled around. “Oh, uh, hello!” she greeted, forcing an unsure smile on her face as Erikur held out his hand.

“Hi, Erikur Steilsson,” he introduced himself, watching her take his hand as he grasped it tightly, shaking it. “You must be Svea! We’ve been expecting you!” She nodded, stepping aside as she revealed a redheaded boy standing behind her. He glared at Erikur as Svea made a face, pulling his hood down.

“Say hello,” she hissed. The boy shook his head as Svea sighed. “I’m sorry, Axel takes a bit to warm up and…”

“He and Lukas will get along fine.” Erikur snorted, stepping aside. Svea entered, with Axel lagging behind in tow. Erikur watched as a few moving men began to open up the truck, frowning as they began to grab the small boxes.

Axel watched as Erikur stepped away from the door, standing next to the platinum haired Lukas who was already exchanging formalities with Svea. “It’s nice to finally meet you both,” Lukas said. “All we know is what we’ve heard from Arthur and Timo.”

“Oh, and is Timo here? He’s the one I’ve been…”

From the doorway of the kitchen, a tall, slender teen girl appeared and Axel scowled as she gave him an annoyed look. “I’m Piper Väinämöinen,” she simply said. She examined Svea next, shaking her head as she stepped out of the way. “ _Dad_!” she shouted, drawing out the vowel in the word as a young looking man stepped into sight. “There you are!” 

“You were just in here with me, Pipe.”

“Whatever,” she said. She walked away, bumping into Svea as Timo growled. She made her way towards the stairs as Timo walked forward, his eyes never leaving Piper until she was out of sight.

“I’m sorry, she’s…” Timo paused. “Being a teenager.” Svea laughed and Timo flushed, quickly glancing over her as he bit his lip. He inhaled, and the smell of something sweet and fresh caught his nose. His hand trembled a bit, but he still held it out as she took it. “Timo.”

“I’m Svea. It’s fine, really! I guess it’ll help prepare me for when this one starts acting up.” Svea took his hand and he could feel her soft, warm skin pulsing against his own clammy, calloused one. She glanced at Axel, who was already busy wandering the living room as two movers dropped some boxes in.

“Here, should I go help?” Timo asked, yanking his hand back as he nervously cleared his throat. She shook her head as a younger mover dropped off three more boxes.

“No, we uh… really the boxes aren’t that bad and we only really had ten or so,” she said. “The rest of it is just things like bed frames and other various furniture that we can sell if…!”

“No, no!”

Timo walked over and grabbed two boxes with Svea’s name written across the top. “I’ll show you to your room right now. You’ll be upstairs. I hope you don’t mind sharing a bathroom with Erikur… he’s very neat.”

“I should be fine,” Svea said, looking behind as Erikur shrugged, walking towards the sofa. “And uh, Axel?”

“There’s this little bedroom,” Timo said simply. “Piper threw a fit, she was using it as a walk-in closet, kind of, but we made her clean it out. There’s a bathroom conjoined to Piper’s room.”

Timo made his way towards the stairs as Axel groaned loudly. “Do I _have_ to share a bathroom with a girl?”

“You shared one with me, didn’t you?” Svea asked, following Timo as Axel groaned, walking up the stairs in pursuit of his mother. The two adults chattered about the place as Timo opened a large, empty bedroom with a large bay window. Svea smiled, stepping in as she twirled around in the room.

Axel groaned, muttering something under his breath as he walked towards the end of the hallway. He looked at a door that was already opened, with dark satin sheets and various paintings hung up on the wall, on the same side of the house as his mom’s room. He assumed this was Erikur’s.

He turned to the left, running his hands along the wooden banisters on the stairs near his room door as he reached for the doorknob, opening it to reveal a smaller room. He stepped inside, walking over to note that once inside, the room didn’t seem to be so small, especially since he was a minimalist.

“Axel!” Svea called. “Come on! The moving people want to get your bed frame and dresser in there!” Axel sighed, walking towards the door when he spotted two, bright pink slippers resting on the highest step he could see from his door. He blinked, noticing that these slippers were on someone’s feet. He froze, walking towards the stairs as he felt someone grab his arm.

He yelped, turning to face his mother as he looked back at the stairs. The slippers were gone. Svea smiled. “Come on, the sooner they do this, the sooner we can unpack and make ourselves at home!”

“Yeah,” Axel muttered. “At home.”

 

**x x x**

 

“Mom, can I talk to you?”

Three hours later, the furniture was gone and Svea had been hard at work unpacking. Erikur had brought her a bottle of wine as a housewarming gift and Timo would stop by sporadically and offer to help, while the rest of the housemates kept to themselves.

Mathilde sighed, hanging up a black and white dress as she asked, “Did you finish unpacking?”

“Mom, this is serious.” Axel’s eyes narrowed as Svea turned around to face him. “I don’t like the house.” She groaned. “There’s something not right! It’s… creepy. And the roommates are weird!”

“You’re overreacting,” she said. “Sure, the… girl’s a little bit mouthy, but she’s sixteen.” Svea paused, before adding, “Do not ever do that to me. I will ground you until you graduated high school.”

Axel nodded in mutual understanding. “I don’t like any of them,” he said.

“Well, you’ll learn. Erikur’s not so bad. He’s very nice. And Timo…”

Axel winced as his mother just simply said his name. “Something isn’t right,” Axel said. “Plus, I’m not sure I like the house. Remember? Creepy? Looks like something from a horror movie.”

Svea chuckled, “It’s a bit of a… _dated_ place, but I think it has personality.”

“I think it has ghosts.” Svea froze as she reached for another pantsuit. Axel cleared his throat, clarifying, “I think this house is haunted!” Svea laughed, shaking her head. “No! I saw someone… on the stairs to the attic earlier. And I looked away and then back and they were gone!”

“Look,” Svea said setting the pantsuit back onto the bed, walking over to kneel down to Axel’s eye level. “We’ve had a big day, and a lot has happened. And yes, the house is a bit creepy, so I think that…”

“You aren’t listening! We need to leave _now_!”

“Now you’re just being ridiculous,” Svea snapped. “Axel, I put too much into this move. I know you’re still upset, but this isn’t going to change. Learn to love it! This is our life now!”

Axel groaned, before he turned on his heels and ran out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is part of some giant, monster series I'm starting. Inspired by _Buffy_ and _Being Human_


	2. A New Friend

“Who is this serial coffee maker?” 

Svea slammed the cupboard doors shut as she glanced over to the kitchen island, where three cups of undrank coffee were resting. Erikur shrugged, reaching for one of the cups as he took a sip, wincing at the taste.

He handed Svea the cup as she drained it, rinsing it quickly before she set it under her Keurig and sighed. “I don’t know how anyone can obsessively make coffee. And it’s not like I’m never here. How do I never see it?”

“It’s probably the ghost.”

From the dining room table, Axel grumbled loudly as he pushed his sausage links around on his plate as Erikur snapped his head around. “They can’t even drink coffee,” Erikur said, his voice wavering a bit as Svea rolled her eyes.

“Well, maybe the do it because they’re bored,” Axel suggested. “I can’t be the only one who notices things!” Axel shouted. “The last two days I’ve noticed things being moved and things vanishing or reappearing and… not to mention I’ve been seeing someone creeping around and…”

“There are five people in this house,” Svea interrupted. “Things might get moved or vanish or whatever. Honestly, Axel!” Erikur gulped, reaching for a second cup of old coffee as he began to chug it. “Can you at least _try_ to like the place?”

Erikur slammed the cup down and gagged loudly, drawing the attention from the dispute towards him. “Wrong cup!” he shouted. “Uh… bye!” He sputtered, jumping from the barstool and leaving the room. Erikur inhaled sharply, moving past Piper as he nudged her.

Piper blinked, following him. “What’s wrong? Did the skank come onto you?”

“Svea is a nice lady,” Erikur hissed. “And no. We have a problem. Where’s Lukas?”

“What’s the problem?” she whispered, pulling him away as he tried to round the corner into the hallway near the stairs. “And why would you tell him? He’s _so_ uptight.”

Erikur groaned. “Axel can see Mathilde,” he explained. “He’s convinced. He knows the house is haunted. He’s seen her about, apparently.” Erikur shrugged. Piper made a face, yanking on his arm again.

“You can’t tell Lukas, he’ll flip!”

“Well, what choice do we have?” Erikur asked. “Next thing you know he’s gonna be hanging crosses up to try and exorcise the house and then what?”

Piper frowned, leaning against the stair railing as she sighed. “I mean we could always kill them.” Erikur frowned, watching as Piper shrugged. “Whatever, go talk to Lukas. You’re only hurting Mathilde.”

Erikur scowled. “Don’t start.”

 

**x x x**

 

“Mathilde.”

Mathilde smiled as she sprung to her feet, throwing the book she was reading over her shoulder. “Lukas! Thank God, social interaction!” She ran over to embrace him, only to have him push her back. She frowned.

“You’re so _careless_ ,” he snapped. “The kid can _see_ you!”

“I know.” He looked at her in disbelief as she frowned. “You can’t be mad at me.” Lukas’ jaw dropped as soon as the sentence left her mouth as she frowned. “Lukas, this is just… I feel like you see me as a burden.”

“Right now you are!” he snapped back. “Mathilde, look. We can’t risk exposure.”

Mathilde frowned, sitting back down on her bed as she said, “But I’m fucking _dying_ up here alone and all by myself! Besides, he’s a cute kid. He may need someone with his mother being so busy preparing for work.”

“I’m not going to be tied to a fucking stake and burned alive just because you want to play mommy with the new roommate’s kid!” Lukas shouted. Mathilde pouted as Lukas shook his head. “This isn’t your house anymore. It hasn’t been since you kicked the bucket almost three years ago.”

“Oh, like that was my fault!” Mathilde replied. “Look, you’re a fucking _witch_ , can’t you do something to make me not a burden on your life?”

Lukas scowled. “One, I prefer to be called a warlock. Get it right.”

“Witch bitch.” Mathilde forced a smirk on her face.

“And _two_ ,” Lukas emphasized. “I can’t.”

“There isn’t a spell?” Mathilde asked. Lukas shook his head as Mathilde scowled. “You’re some all powerful ‘warlock,’” she said, adding air quotes, “and you can’t find a spell to either help me cross over or make me even human?”

“There is no way.” Lukas frowned and his total rejection shot Mathilde down. She groaned, standing up as she began to pace the room. “Stop that,” Lukas commanded.

“All you do is blame be,” Mathilde mumbled.

“I’m not blaming you, Mathilde!” Lukas said, grabbing her arm and pulling her near him. He rested his hands on her shoulders, whispering, “I will help you crossover, I promise. I don’t blame you, but the fact is, this is going to hurt everyone if we get caught.”

Mathilde nodded. “I know… I guess… it’s so _lonely_.”

Lukas nodded. “I know, but we just… at least for another few years. Piper can maybe get three years in here.”

Mathilde frowned. “But then you’d… you’d leave.”

“You could come with.”

“This is my home,” Mathilde simply said. “I was going to be a wife and have children in this house. We bought this place and…” She stepped back. “Just… go away.”

Lukas frowned. “Okay,” he agreed. “I’ll see you later.”

 

**x x x**

 

Timo yawned as he walked into the kitchen, the dim light over the stove lighting up the room as he blinked. He held his breath as Svea stretched out, her long flannel shirt rising up as Timo looked at her long legs. Baggy shorts peaked from under the shirt and he finally cleared his throat.

Svea jumped, the mug juggling in her hands as she caught it, turning around and letting out a sigh of relief. “Timo!” she said. “Oh, you, uh… frightened me! I thought you…”

She laughed to herself. “I guess Axel’s ghost stories are getting to me.”

Timo frowned as Svea turned around. She looked over her shoulder, asking, “Coffee? Looks like you aren’t sleeping soon.”

“That’d be nice,” Timo said, walking over to the island, leaning against the counter as he watched Svea move. “Ghost stories, huh?”

Svea scoffed. “He is looking for any reason to not like this place at all,” she accused. “Like, I get it. Moving him halfway across the state isn’t ideal, but he could at least make an effort.”

“Yeah, I remember the first couple times I moved with Piper,” Timo concurred, smiling to himself as Svea set the mug beneath the brewer.

“Timo, can I ask you something?”

Timo nodded. “Go for it,” he said. She turned around, lacing and then pulling her hands apart as she thought.

“How old are you?” Svea asked. “I mean, I was talking to Lukas and he said Piper had just turned sixteen not too long ago, and well… you look _awfully_ young to have a sixteen year old daughter.”

“Piper… I adopted her,” Timo explained. “It’s very complicated. I’m twenty-seven, and she came into my care about… oh, where does time go. I think seven or eight years ago?” He shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t like talking about it.”

“I’m sorry,” Svea muttered. She turned her attention back to making coffee. “It’s just… so you were with Piper when she was about Axel’s age?”

Timo froze. Svea turned back around as she handed him his mug of coffee. He nodded, muttering, “Yeah. She’s always been… _something_. Piper is a very… outgoing child. So, moving wasn’t the issue, but I guess it was leaving the friends she left.”

Svea shrugged, mumbling, “I wish I could relate. Axel’s always struggled making friends. He’s not… can’t really related to anyone, really. Young or old.” She drummed her fingers against the countertop behind her. “I feel like I failed as a mother, sometimes.” 

“He seems well-rounded,” Timo said. “Piper… she is a little menace. Always was, always will be. She’s stubborn.”

“Well, so is Axel,” Svea told him. “What was it like for you?”

“What does that mean?” Timo asked, crossing his arms. 

“I mean, I was eighteen when I got pregnant,” Svea explained. “I worked fulltime, raised a child, and was attending school so that I could get a teaching degree. You were about my age when you adopted her.” She smiled. “How’d you do it?”

“I told you, I don’t like talking about it.” Timo scowled, adding, “I don’t like swapping these kinds of things. I tend to want to neglect the life before Penrose, because it just wasn’t fun and it wasn’t easy.”

Svea nodded, turning her back to grab the cup as she whispered, “I’m sorry.” Timo felt a bit of guilt at his outburst and walked forward, tapping her shoulder as she turned around.

“I tend to forget how hard a move can be,” he whispered. “Sorry. I know it had to be rough for you too.” Svea nodded. “Besides, I think you’re a great mother. I’ll let you even parent Piper.”

“I’d rather not,” Svea said, laughing quietly. “She doesn’t seem to like me.”

“I think it’s how she shows affection,” Timo commented. “You should hear her and Erikur.” The two laughed quietly, moving closer before a loud thud from above startled them. Timo jumped back as Svea looked up.

“What was that?” Svea asked. “Is someone… in the attic?”

Timo frowned, shaking his head. “Sometimes, after we clean, Lukas tends to leave the window open. I think a raccoon has gotten in there.” Svea shot him a disgusted look. “Usually, they get bored and leave. If it’s still there in the morning, I’ll take care of it.”

Svea shook her head. “Whatever,” she simply said. “Thanks for the company. I’ll, uh… see you in the morning I guess.”

Timo nodded, watching as Svea walked out of the kitchen. Timo’s neutral expression turned dark. “I could kill Mathilde.”

 

**x x x**

 

Axel jumped as the loud thud was heard right over his head. He felt his stomach drop as he began to shake, the sounds of footsteps and shaking right above his head. He shot up in bed as the sounds stopped, swinging his legs over to the side of the bed and slipping on a pair of shoes.

He grabbed a flashlight and quickly walked over to his door, opening it and stepping into the hallway. He stepped onto the first stairs, expecting it to creek, and to his surprise, there was no sound. He tiptoed up to the top landing, where a large, thick door was. He inhaled, jiggling the knob gently to reveal that it was locked.

There was shuffling on the other side and he inhaled. He brought his hand up to the door and balled it into a fist, knocking gently as the shuffling stopped. “Hello? Is that Erikur or Piper?”

Axel held his breath and knocked again. “You have a skeleton key!” the voice – which Erikur could tell was a female’s – said. He knocked again. “Okay, it’s obviously Pipe. She never carries that stupid key around…”

The door swung open as Axel held his breath. The woman was of average height, with short hair as he took a step back. She gasped and he stumbled back, loosing his footing as he began to slip. She reached out, grabbing his arm as she pulled him back to the top. She let out a more audible gasp.

“Holy… you okay, kid?” she asked, kneeling down to cusp both sides of his face.

“You’re… you’re…”

Axel couldn’t find the words. She shushed him, pulling him into the attic and closing the door. “Oh, honey,” she whispered, kneeling back down to be at his eye level. “Did I frighten you?” she asked.

“Of course!” Axel shouted. “I’m talking to a freaking ghost!”

She shushed him. “Don’t wake the house,” she advised. “How did you know I was a ghost?”

“If you lived here, we would’ve met you.”

She made a face. “What about those people that hide in cupboards and then only come out at night and eat food?” Axel shot her a dirty look that she noticed was much too carefully crafted for a ten year old. “Okay, fine.”

She stood back up as his eyes followed her moving across the room. “I’m a ghost! Boo.” Her emotionless admission did nothing to change his expression. “I’m surprised you can even see me… or that… I can even touch you.”

“Why are you here?” Axel asked, letting her muse over her own questions. “I’ll call a priest to get rid if you if…!”

“Calm down, kiddo,” she warned. “I’m not a demon. I’m a ghost. I’m kind of… in limbo.”

“Limbo?” Axel asked. She smiled, shrugging her shoulders.

“Well, for starters, my name is Mathilde,” she introduced, smiling down as Axel stared back at her. “And yeah. Limbo. It’s the thing or place where I’m dead but I haven’t crossed over yet. It’s all very complicated.”

Axel shot her an unsure glance. “Anyway, about three years ago, I fell down the stairs. My clumsy ass slipped and well, I guess I had bad trauma from the fall. We had a really sharp corner table at the bottom…”

Mathilde shrugged as Axel frowned. “So, since then, I’ve been hanging out here, just kind of living the lonely life. Most people can’t see me.”

“Most?” Axel asked. Mathilde nodded.

“Very few humans can see me,” she repeated. “I guess you’re just one of the special ones.” Axel tapped his chin. “Not sure what makes you special.”

“I know what it’s like to be lonely,” he muttered, sitting down on her bed as Mathilde frowned, taking a seat next to him. “Mom worries because of me. We moved because the bullying had gotten so bad at the last school. She decided leaving the whole city would be the best option.”

“She loves you,” Mathilde whispered. “You know, my mom… I wish she was half the woman your mom is.”

Axel bit his lip. He looked over at her as he smiled. “Yeah, she is nice. I just… wish my dad wasn’t so far away…”

“When I was twenty-one, my fiancé moved me across the country to live here,” she said. “I missed my family a lot too. But… I was able to make a life here. A life I enjoy… or, er, _enjoyed_ , I guess.”

Axel chuckled and Mathilde smiled. “Hold on!” she said, jumping up and walking over to her vanity. She opened the drawer, pulling out a long, slender key as Axel’s eyes widened. “I don’t want to keep you up all night. But… I promise I’m a good ghost.”

Axel watched her practically glide across the room, holding the key out to him. “I don’t want you to feel lonely. If you ever need someone, I’ll be here. This is a skeleton key. It’ll open any locked door, which is what this attic is most of the time.”

“Okay,” Axel said, reaching out. Mathilde snatched it away.

“It can be yours, under one condition,” Mathilde said, her cheerful voice carrying a more serious note. “You can’t tell anyone. I’m afraid they’ll freak and burn the place to the ground, and I’m sure you’d rather not move either.”

Axel hesitated, before he nodded his head. “Okay,” he said. Mathilde smiled, putting the key in his hand. “I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> everything is important.


	3. Secrets We Keep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Piper gets Erikur to do her a favor, Traian visits Timo, and Mathilde's friendship is more dangerous to the house than you know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Traian - Romania  
> Mariya - Ukraine  
> Kiet - Thailand

Erikur smiled as the he removed the blood pressure monitor from the woman’s arm. She smiled back as he said, “Well, things look normal, but I’m going to get your doctor in her. Preeclampsia can be very serious.”

“Thank you,” she said. Erikur pushed the machine back against the wall as he left the room. Walking over to the nurses’ station where he looked at the head nurse, Mariya. She brushed her short hair with her fingers as she smiled back.

“How is she?” she asked.

“Can you page her doctor? Her OB/GYN,” Erikur clarified as he looked through a chart on the desk in front of him. Mariya nodded as she reached for the phone. Erikur turned around and frowned, watching as Piper walked down the corridor. Erikur frowned as he saw her skip up to him, holding out a large, brown paper bag.

“I brought us lunch!” she exclaimed. “You never pack your own and I know you don’t eat when you’re here, so…” She smiled as Erikur’s eyes narrowed, scrutinizing her every movement. Piper’s smile never faltered as she leaned across the station.

“Can he take a break?” she asked. Mariya smiled, hanging up the phone as she waved Piper off.

“He can take the rest of the day if he really wanted,” Mariya said. “He has so much time saved up.” Erikur rolled his eyes, yanking on Piper’s arm as he dragged her down the hallway, winding the corner until they were out of Mariya’s sight.

“What do you want?” he asked, moving them towards the cafeteria at a brisk pace. Piper stopped, shaking him off as she shook her head, laughing as Erikur glared.

“I wanted to bring my favorite roommate lunch.”

“You’re not normally this nice unless you want something.” Erikur crossed his arms. “Spill.” Piper laughed again, although this time it sounded more forced as she looked at him.

“I need a favor,” she whispered. “You can’t tell Timo.” Erikur sighed, shaking his head as Piper stepped closer. “Eri, listen… I can’t… being in a house with… it’s hard.” Piper threw her arms down, wiping her forehead as Erikur shook his head.

“You’re joking,” he asked. She looked at him, pure desperation painted across her face. “You’re serious. Oh my God…” Erikur held up his hands. “I’m not fucking with that one, Pip. I thought you were clean?” She shrugged. Erikur gaped at her.

“Eri, I want to be. Trust me, I do. But… the next thing to a fix I have is from another one like me, and I only know Timo and… I can’t do it cold turkey.”

“Don’t,” Erikur interrupted. “Mental picture. I didn’t need.”

“If I don’t get a fix I will snap the kid’s neck and drink him dry,” Piper said, her jaw clenched as Erikur shook his hand. “And then, I’ll drink the whore’s blood for a nice wine to pair.”

“Piper, I… I want to help you…” Erikur stumbled over the words.

“What’s a homeless man from the park here or there?” she asked. “What’s an old woman with no friends or family?”

“You are not killing innocent people,” Erikur growled.

“Then toss me a few criminals. I know the jail sends them here for treatments.”

Erikur groaned loudly. “Look,” he whispered. “I want to help, but actual humans are off the table. I can… there’s some…” Piper’s eyes lit up as Erikur sighed. “There’s the blood in bags. The ones for transfusions. It can… it’ll help wean you off of it.”

Piper shrieked and wrapped her arms around Erikur. “Oh! Thank you… you big, stupid, hairy…!” She squealed as Erikur felt her pull him in to a tighter hug. The door to a room three steps down opened and Erikur inhaled sharply.

From the room emerged a tall, slender man with spiky black hair and square frames around his eyes. He was Asian and dressed in a long, white doctor’s coat and slacks. Erikur pushed Piper off as he approached them.

“Oh, Erikur, hey,” he greeted, giving him a big, genuine smile. Erikur waved back, words escaping him as Piper watched him in amusement. “Who’s this?”

“Piper,” Erikur blurted out, a bit too eagerly. “Uh, you know… Timo’s daughter. Piper, this is Dr. Sripuy, I work with him… I mean…”

“Obviously,” Piper snorted. “Nice to meet you, Doc.”

“Kiet’s just fine, thanks,” Dr. Sripuy – Kiet – said. “Are you taking your break now?” he asked. Erikur nodded, unable to speak as Kiet smiled. “Enjoy it. Honestly, I’m surprised you’re even taking one.”

“I’m making him,” Piper interjected. “You should join us! As you can tell, Erikur is terrible at conversation, so I may need _someone_ to talk to.” She shot him a look and he elbowed her. Kiet laughed.

“I would love to, but I have to finish rounds and I have an appointment with someone in about an hour.” Kiet glanced down at his watch, waving to the pair as he said, “Some other time. I’ll see you later, Erikur.”

“Bye, Kiet!” Piper shouted. She turned back to Erikur, who was bright red as she linked arms with him. “You are the stupidest man alive. Or boy. Is that the crush you long after in your spare time?”

“It’s not a crush,” Erikur said. “You make it sound so childish. Not like I can date him.”

“Yeah, he’s way out of your league,” Piper mused. “He looks like a model. Smells really good. Some good blood in that one.” Erikur sent her a nasty look and she smirked. “How about we eat this lunch, and then I can teach you how to talk to boys as a reward for you helping me?”

Erikur frowned. “What would Timo say?”

“He has his own shit to deal with.”

 

**x x x**

 

“How do you have all this WWII memorabilia?”

Svea mused as she peered into a box. Timo set another box on his desk, pulling out a globe and setting it on the corner. He gently spun it, watching as she pulled out a small case, containing a medal.

Timo shrugged. “My, uh, grandfather. Really into that stuff. You know,” he said, trying to quickly deflect the question. “You never told me you taught choir.”

“Part of the reason why I moved here,” Svea replied, setting the case back into the box as she smiled at him, watching him move across the room to another pile of boxes. “They had an opening,” she explained. “And well, small town…”

“Yeah,” Timo agreed, removing a few textbooks and setting them on a nearby desk. “So, you like music?” he asked. Svea rolled her eyes as he shrugged. “You’re nervous.”

“My first big teaching job? Of course,” she admitted. “It should be fine. I’m teaching high school anyway, so the kids decided to be in choir. I should be fine.”

“You’d be surprised,” Timo joked. “I hear these kids are pretty mouthy.”

“Well, by the time school starts, I’ll have dealt with Piper for almost half a month,” Svea shot back playfully. Timo laughed and Svea grinned. A loud laugh echoed through the room as Timo was cut off, glaring at the male in the door.

Svea spun around and faced a strawberry blond haired man, with deep, crimson eyes. “Piper certainly is a handful,” the man concurred. “You can tell Timo raised her.”

The man walked towards Svea as Timo made his way towards her as well. “Now, who might this be?”

“This is Svea, my roommate and coworker,” Timo explained. The man looked amused, looking Svea over before he held out her hand. “Svea, this is Traian Costin. Don’t listen to a word he says.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Svea said, reaching out to shake his hand as well.

“Charmed.” Traian took Svea’s hand, brining it up to his lips as he flashed a grin, his fangs fairly prominent. Timo glared.

“Traian,” he warned. Traian rolled his eyes, kissing the back of Svea’s hand as he released it. Svea flushed, shifting uncomfortably as she looked over at the clock. “If you don’t mind, Traian…”

“I actually need to go,” Svea shouted. “I need to get the choir room set up, uh… I’ll see you at home!” she called, rushing out the door as Traian turned, chuckling to himself. When Svea was out of sight, Traian turned back to Timo.

“I don’t know how you do it,” Traian chuckled. “She’s gorgeous. I’d take a bite out of –.”

Traian felt a hand wrap around his neck as he was tossed against the dry erase board. He groaned in pain as Timo glared down at him, his nostrils flaring as he balled his fists. “Christ, Väinämöinen!”

“What do you want?” Timo asked. “I told you the school was off-limits.”

“It’s public property,” Traian shot back, standing up as he brushed off his pants. “I want your help.”

“I’d rather not.”

Traian glared, asking, “Do you want to keep Piper safe? Yourself safe?” Timo stood there, staring back as Traian began to circle around Timo. “Because without the Penrose Clan, you two are as good as dead.”

“We’ve done fine thus far,” Timo replied. “We don’t need you. Or the clan.”

“There’s someone coming to Penrose Hollows,” Traian explained, “who will stop us from existing.” Timo scoffed, shaking his head. “For all I know, they’re already here. They will singlehandedly destroy our race.”

“Well, if that’s the case, I don’t think strength in numbers will help if they’re destined to kill us.”

Traian glared as he stopped pacing in front of Timo. “You used to be the most feared,” Traian criticized. “Your heart was black. Not a trace of a heart. And then you went soft.”

Timo glared, muttering, “Leave. We aren’t part of your world anymore.”

“You fucking idiot,” Traian growled. “Don’t you see? You can’t be part of _their_ world either. You never will be.”

Timo frowned as Traian’s lip curled into a nasty snarl. He turned his back, walking out of the classroom as Timo turned back to the array of boxes across the room, trembling a bit as he walked towards the boxes.

 

**x x x**

 

“So, anyway, this house was never actually haunted until I died.” Axel watched as Mathilde scooped a spoonful of macaroni and cheese into a bowl as she laughed. “Anyone who says it was a funeral home or place for ritualistic sacrifice is lying.”

“Aren’t you gonna have some?” Axel asked, pointing to his bowl as Mathilde shook her head.

“Sorry, kiddo, no can do,” Mathilde replied. “Unable to eat or drink. Which, let me tell you… the latter has been a struggle!” Mathilde laughed as Axel smiled. “Anyway, I just enjoy doing what normal humans do… even if I can’t enjoy the food I make or the coffee I brew.”

Axel nodded, grabbing a fork as he stabbed the macaroni. “So, what did you when you were alive?”

“I was a bit of everything,” Mathilde told him. “I grew up in a bakery and worked there until college, which then I went for event planning and management and business,” she recalled. “Where at college, I met my fiancé and became a wedding planner. Then, I bit the dust and here I am!”

“A wedding planner?” Axel could imagine the bubbly spirit running around, picking out napkin colors and flower arrangements. It suited her well, he thought. “I can see it. How’d you meet Artie?”

“At a bar crawl,” she answered. “He offered to buy me a beer and… well, the rest was history!”

“Do you ever leave the house?” Axel asked. “Or are you… bound here? Like I’ve seen in some movies and such?” Mathilde shook her head with a quiet chuckle.

“I could leave, take a walk,” she explained. “But… I don’t. Not normally. It makes me nervous.”

“If people can’t see you, then why are you worried?” Mathilde shrugged at Axel’s question. “I know! There’s a park right up the street! We could walk there!” Mathilde shook her head as Axel set his bowl on the countertop. He grabbed her arm. “Come on! I haven’t seen the town yet and you could use the fresh air!”

Mathilde set the spoon down, shaking her head as she looked at Axel. He tugged on her arm, giving her a pleading look as she smiled. “Okay,” she sighed. “Fine.”

 

**x x x**

 

Svea set the book down as the grandfather clock rang, echoing throughout the living room. She stood up from the sofa, stretching out as she walked over to the large picture window, pulling the curtains open as she glanced up the street. She could see a tuff of red hair slowly approaching the house, speaking and talking to what appeared to be a woman.

Svea adjusted her glasses, squinting as Axel walked closer to the house, laughing as the woman smiled. Svea inhaled sharply, stepping back as she stepped towards the door. “Svea,” a voice called. She turned around and sighed, watching as Timo stepped out from his bedroom.

“Oh, hi,” she greeted quickly. “Listen I…”

“Listen, I want to apologize,” Timo interrupted. Svea raised an eyebrow. He frowned, continuing on. “Traian is… I don’t like him. So, if you felt uncomfortable…”

“Timo, it’s fine,” she said, holding up her hands. “Glad we agree not to invite him over for dinner, but… I have…”

“Just, I don’t want you to feel awkward, since not only do we live together, we work…”

“Timo, I need to go address something real quick, so I…”

The front door opened as Axel walked in. Svea whirled around, crossing her arms as her son closed the door behind him. His smile faded as Svea cleared her throat, looking at the floor as Axel asked, “What’s up?”

“Who was that woman with you?” Svea asked. Axel blinked, looking at his mother as if she had grown a second head. Timo glanced at Svea, his expression unreadable.

“What? Mom, what are you…?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Axel,” Svea shouted, her eyes snapping up to glare at him. “The woman. The one with short hair walking with you. Who was that?”

“I wasn’t… I think you’re…” Axel stuttered, shaking as he looked away from his mother. Timo frowned, walking toward his room before turning the corner, walking down the hallway.

Svea groaned. “Forget it.”

 

**x x x**

 

“What did I tell you yesterday? We just talked about this!”

The attic door slammed shut as Timo and Lukas stood by the doorway, both with their arms crossed and matching angry looks directed at Mathilde. She frowned, watching as Timo walked over to her right side. “You went out with Axel?” Lukas asked.

“The kid wanted to go to the park,” Mathilde said.

“He knows about you?” Timo asked. “Mathilde, this is fucking careless, even for _you_!”

“He’s cool,” Mathilde simply retorted. “Listen, he needs a friend, and I’m here.”

“Svea can see you too.” Mathilde looked over at Timo as he frowned, nodding his head. Lukas stepped away from the door, approaching the two as Timo added, “This is too risky. Mathilde, you can’t…”

“I told him to keep me a secret…” Mathilde shook her head. “I… I don’t know what you want from me, honestly. It’s not like I want to leave here, and _someone_ won’t throw me a bone.”

Lukas snarled, “Oh, you’re going to make this about _me_ now?”

“Nobody is making you do anything, either of you.” Timo sat down in a rocking chair, crossing his legs as he leaned back, stretching his arms out wide. “But, we need to be careful. How are we going to explain that this house has six occupants, but one of them is dead?” 

“Well, three are,” Lukas stated. Timo shot him a look. “If you want to be technical about it. You and Piper aren’t necessarily living, either.” Timo rolled his eyes. 

“Thank you, Lukas,” he hissed. Mathilde rolled her eyes.

“You worried they’ll freak out when they realize that they’re living with a ghost? How are you going to explain Erikur’s little time of the month?” Mathilde spat. “I feel that Mama Bear might have a harder time letting a giant wolf around her son than a little ghost.”

“Not to mention two of the housemates might want to make a meal out of them.” Timo sputtered, watching as Lukas’ eyes narrowed towards him. “Need I remind you about college? Being roommates with you was impossible.”

“That was in 2004,” Timo argued. “And it was one girl, one night. It was too much alcohol and…”

“Piper’s little relapse was just last year!” Lukas retorted. “Face it, that girl is out of control! You _never_ had her under control!””

“She’s fine now,” Timo insisted. “Look, this isn’t even about them finding out about us. If the whole town finds out… well, I think we’ll be greeted by pitchforks and torches for the rest of our lives.” Timo looked at Lukas. “I’m looking out for not only myself, but Piper, Erikur, and even you two.”

“But this is hurting _me_ ,” Mathilde argued. There was a low grumble and banging up above their heads as Lukas groaned, the pipes rumbling.

“The pipes are bad,” Lukas groaned. “Arthur is going to fix them.” Mathilde’s face lights up as Lukas pokes his chest. “No. Absolutely not. I see that look. You are dead. He is alive!”

Timo frowned. “But I want to see him!” Mathilde whined. “We were engaged. He was the love of my life!” Lukas scoffed as Timo looked at her sympathetically. “Why can’t I?” 

“I don’t think it’s smart,” Lukas simply replied. “What if he sees you?”

“Lukas!” Mathilde whined.

“This is not the reason we came up here,” Timo reminded Lukas. “Mathilde, you can’t… you can’t be around Axel. You can’t leave the house. It’s too…” Mathilde’s expression dared him to say the word, and Timo sighed. “You know why.” Mathilde nodded her head.

“I get it,” Mathilde whispered. “But… I don’t agree.”

“I don’t give a fuck if you _do_ agree!” Timo shot back. “This is about our safety.”

“Get out of my room!”

Timo sighed loudly as Mathilde balled her fist, making his way towards the door as Lukas blinked, staring back at her. She growled again and Lukas held up his hands, walking towards the door as the two males opened it, slamming it shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have NOTHING to say.


	4. The Truth Comes Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truth about their housemates are revealed. Svea's having none of it.

“What’s wrong, Mathilde?”

Axel frowned as he entered the living room, watching the woman set her feet on the ground, uncurling from her own little ball. “It’s nothing,” Mathilde whispered. Axel looked around, before sitting next to her. “Axel, there’s… a lot.”

“Is this about Arthur coming over today to fix the plumbing?”

Mathilde scowled. She hadn’t heard about that, but she didn’t tell Axel that. “I bet it’s really hard,” Axel said, swinging his legs. “Watching the guy you were in love with live without you. Did you know he’s got a new girlfriend?”

“Well,” Mathilde muttered, her chest tightening in anger. “It has been three years.”

“She’s not very bright,” Axel told Mathilde. “A bit of a ditz.” Mathilde smiled. “Her name is Emily.”

“Ugh, Emily Jones? The accountant from his firm?” she groaned loudly. “She always was all over him when we were together.” Mathilde made a face. Axel nodded in understand. “Is she still a fake little princess?”

“She’s as fake as her implants.”

Mathilde chuckled as Axel cracked a smile. “I’m starting to like it here,” Axel admitted. Mathilde hummed in response as Axel looked at his hands, folded in his lap. “I mean… not sure about the roommates but…”

“You’ll grow to like them,” Mathilde said. Axel looked at her in confusion. “Well, I think they’re nice. They uh…” She motioned with her hands, as if it would convey what she was trying to get at.

“I think my mom saw you.”

Mathilde didn’t even blink. “Oh?”

“Yeah, maybe you could meet her!” Axel said. “She’s only got guys around and between you and me, one of them looks like he’ll sleep with _anything_ with a pulse.” Mathilde choked out a laugh as Axel rolled his eyes. “I think Erikur is a fruit loop, so he’s not an issue.”

“A _what_?” Mathilde exclaimed.

“I think the Erikur guy is gay.”

“That’s not very nice!” Mathilde sputtered. “Where did you learn that?”

“I went bullied in public school in a big city,” Axel simply replied. Mathilde gawked as Axel shrugged. “It doesn’t bother me. I’ve had worst painted on my locker.” Mathilde frowned as he forced a smile.

“Well, nobody here is going to mess with you,” Mathilde stated. Axel rolled his eyes. “I think. I don’t know, really, but…”

The front door opened wide as the sound of a purse hitting the ground echoed in the bare living room. “Who the _fuck_ is that?” Svea shouted. Axel turned around, peering over the sofa at his mother. He looked to his right to find Mathilde was no longer there.

He looked towards the entrance to the hallway and right in front of the door to Timo’s room stood Mathilde. “Stand down, Mama Bear!” Svea turned towards Mathilde. Her hands were held up in surrender. Svea blinked, her jaw wide open as she looked back between the sofa and where Mathilde stood.

“Oh, hell no!” Svea shouted. “You better tell me who you are and what you’re doing here right fucking now!”

Mathilde opened her mouth, but shut it. She looked over at Axel who was staring at her with big eyes. “Calm down, don’t worry. I’m not gonna hurt your kid!”

“I’m calling the cops.”

Mathilde vanished instantly as Svea made her way to the kitchen. Mathilde appeared in the entrance, cutting Svea off as she said, “I don’t think you should do that. You might come off as a bit nutty.” Svea gawked.

“Axel, go get Lukas,” Svea commanded.

“Mom, no!” Axel shouted. “She’s good! She’s the… she’s… Mathilde!” He ran over, grabbing his mom’s leg as he pleaded with Mathilde with his eyes. “He won’t… I can’t!”

“Is everything okay?” From the dark hallway, Lukas entered the common space and scowled. Mathilde waved as Axel looked over at Lukas. “Mathilde, what did Timo tell you last night?”

“You know about her? You _know_ her?” Svea spat, taking a step back and pulling Axel in close. “Who the fuck is she, Lukas?” Lukas blinked, shaking his head as he looked over at Mathilde.

“Now, just to clarify, you mean the uh, short haired woman standing in the kitchen entrance?”

“Yes!” Svea shouted. “Who else would I be talking about?” Mathilde reached out and brushed Svea’s shoulder. Svea jumped, screaming, “You are freezing!” Lukas shook his head, still in awe as Mathilde shrugged her shoulders.

“Uh, Svea,” Lukas began, clearing his throat, “Mathilde is… _technically_ a roommate.”

“Technically? I bought this house!” Mathilde shouted. “You’re all guests under my roof!” Lukas rolled his eyes.

“What? She’s been living here?” Svea was shocked, stepping back against the wall. Axel inhaled as Lukas approached Svea, trying to calm her down. Mathilde watched in amusement.

“Mom, she’s… she’s a ghost,” Axel said. Svea groaned loudly, rubbing her temples.

“Do not start!”

“Axel isn’t wrong,” Lukas muttered. “Mathilde uh, this is Arthur’s old fiancée. She died here about what, two years ago? Almost three?”

“Halloween of 2013,” Mathilde whispered. Lukas nodded as Svea blinked. “And normally, I’m blind to humans. A few exceptions here or there, but most of the time I can’t be seen or heard. And then you and your son come in and suddenly you can see me?”

“Lukas can see you!” Svea exclaimed. “And she mentioned Timo. Lukas, what the hell…!”

“Look, we’re all just… part of this special group and…” Lukas sighed, catching Mathilde’s defeated glance. “Listen, I think this would be an important thing for us all to sit down and talk about later. When everyone is home.”

Svea felt Axel wiggle out of her grasps, walking away from her before he turned back, nodding. “Oh, fine!” Svea spat. “But, I don’t buy this ghost nonsense. You all have a lot of explaining, and if she is living here, she’s fucking paying rent!”

“I shouldn’t have to, seeing as I bought the damn place,” Mathilde hissed.

“Thilde, put your claws away,” Lukas whispered as Svea stormed off and up the stairs. “Now is definitely not the time.”

 

**x x x**

 

Erikur inhaled sharply as he walked out of the blood bank, sliding a small, plastic bag into a brown paper bag. He looked around to make sure the coast was clear before he stepped out, walking down the hall.

He passed the nurses’ station in the trauma ward as he waved to them, pushing past the doors and walking into the regular part of the hospital. He entered his wing as he reached the nurses’ station there.

Dr. Sripuy looked up from his clipboard, smiling as Erikur approached him. “Oh! Erikur!” he said, walking next to Erikur. “What’s going on? Lunch break?”

Erikur’s heart rate sped up as he looked down at the paper bag in his hand. “Yeah, well, I thought…” Kiet frowned as Erikur held up the bag. “Uh, I guess Piper switched my lunch with Timo’s and uh, I’m… allergic to ranch. In this salad.” Kiet smiled as Erikur shrugged.

“She’s quite a little hellion, isn’t she?”

Erikur groaned. “You have no idea.”

“Well, uh, listen, I’ll be on my lunch in about fifteen, so, how about I get you a new salad?” Kiet asked as Erikur blinked. “Or not salad, if you’re uh…”

“No, uh, get whatever you’re having,” Erikur said. “I’m gonna go check in on a patient real quick and then I’ll, uh… I’ll see you there.” Kiet smiled and waved. Erikur smiled as he felt two hands on his shoulders, massaging them.

“Look at that,” Piper whispered. “If you would just open your mouth, you wouldn’t make yourself look like an ass.”

“It’s just lunch between colleagues,” Erikur hissed. “Nothing serious. We’re even still at work.” He turned around and looked over at her. “Come on, there’s a room on ground level we can use.”

“Right,” Piper mumbled, her usually boisterous voice suddenly growing small. Erikur began to walk before Piper grabbed his scrubs, yanking on him. She held up her phone, showing Erikur the text that was on her screen.

“We have an issue,” Piper said. Erikur paled. “Give me the bag, and go on your lunch date. I’m going home now.”

Erikur frowned. He didn’t want to give Piper the blood, because he didn’t trust her to not lose control. Piper held out her other hand, scowling as Erikur finally nodded, handing over the brown lunch sack.

 

**x x x**

 

“Hello? It’s me, Arthur.”

Mathilde stood at the top of the stairs as she watched the front door swing open. She played with the ends of her scarf, watching as the blond man stepped inside, hollering out another greeting before she heard a door open behind her.

Svea looked at Mathilde, muttering, “Move,” as she pushed past her, walking down the stairs. Mathilde followed as Svea reached the front door, exchanging pleasantries with her new landlord. Mathilde stood on the stairs and watched the exchange.

“How do you like it?” Arthur asked. “The old room. It used to belong to my fiancée and I before she… you know…”

“Kicked the bucket,” a loud voice chimed in. Mathilde’s eyes narrowed, watching as a short, curly blonde haired woman entered the house. “It’s so dreary since she died, you know?”

“Oh, yes, uh, your fiancée… uh…” Svea looked behind her on the stairs. 

“Yes,” Arthur finished. “She was… well, she made this house a bit more homely, to say the least. Anyway, Svea, this is my girlfriend, Emily.”

“The _very_ least!” Emily replied, ignoring Svea as she walked into the living room.

“Oh, I could kill that loudmouth brat where she stands!” Mathilde shouted. Svea whirled around and tried to say something, but she froze. She looked back at Arthur as he made his way towards the sink in the kitchen, acting as if he hadn’t heard a thing.

Mathilde vanished instantly, appearing in the doorway as Svea gape, watching Arthur pass right through her. Her hands began to shake a bit, but she frowned. “It’s like I mean nothing.” Mathilde vanished again, this time appearing by Svea as she sighed. “God, I can’t believe he brought that skank into our home. He knew I didn’t like her.”

“I can see why,” Svea whispered. “She looks plastic.”

“That’s because she is,” Mathilde snarled. “Her boobs are at least.”

“I can tell. My mom had a pair like that.” Mathilde chuckled as Svea looked over. “So, you really are…”

“Dead?” Mathilde asked. “Yeah. I was only twenty-three. I can’t remember much, it’s uh… a bit fuzzy. I fell and now I’m in limbo. Is it creeping you out?”

“No, it makes me feel insane,” Svea replied. Emily looked over at Svea and she frowned. “The noise the pipes make.” Emily laughed and nodded, walking into the kitchen as Svea sighed.

“The world isn’t what it seems,” Mathilde said.

“You sound like my mother,” Svea said with a frown, walking over to the stairs as she shook her head. “And that’s something I moved away from.”

 

**x x x**

 

“So she’s dead. And she’s haunting the house.”

Svea began to chop the carrots in front of her with more vigor. Axel sat nearby, having pulled up a stool to watch his mother cut the vegetables in front of him. Timo stood on the other side of the island, watching her shoulder blades tense up. 

“There was no easy way to tell you without seeming like a bunch of loonies,” Timo said, hearing the chairs in the dining room scrapping the floor behind him. “Yeah, we _all_ knew… Piper, Eri, Lu, and I.”

“So does that mean you aren’t human?” Axel asked. Piper’s eyes widened as Lukas looked out the large, glass doors. Erikur choked on the water he had been sipping as Timo gaped. “Mathilde said… normal humans can’t see her. And well… there’s no way all of us can’t be not normal humans.”

“Well, uh, that’s not true…” Lukas said. “I mean…”

“Guys, we can’t…” Erikur muttered. Piper nodded as Timo shot them both a dirty look. Svea continued to chop the carrots with vigor. “It’s not fair. How are we even going to explain next week?”

“What happens next week? Do we summon more ghosts?” Svea growled.

“ _Nothing_ happens next week,” Timo hissed.

“Oh, right, I forgot, that my prior _arrangements_ were suddenly and magically cancelled! Gee!” Erikur waved his hands in false enthusiasm as Timo held up his middle finger.

“I cannot… this is… ow!”

Svea dropped the knife to the floor as she brought her hand up to her face, examining the large slice on her index finger. Timo’s eyes went wide as Lukas’ attention was drawn to the woman. “Fuck, that hurt!” Svea hissed, reaching for a paper towel. “Jesus fucking…” She looked over at the four sitting across from her and Axel as she watched Timo’s grip on the counter tightened.

“Timo doesn’t… react well…”

Before Erikur could even finish his sentence, Piper was out of her chair and leaping across the island. Her eyes were dark and her face became twisted up, fangs out as she lunged forward. Axel screamed, clinging to his mother’s leg as she stared with wide eyes.

“ _Stop, Demon_!” Lukas’ voice spoke out in a weird, foreign tongue as Piper was sent flying back against the wall. Mathilde appeared between Svea and Piper, fists clenched as if she was ready for the retaliation. Erikur leapt to his feet, grabbing Piper as she slid down the wall, groaning in pain.

“Get her out, Eri!” Mathilde commanded. “ _Now_!”

Erikur nodded, ushering her from the large room as Timo stepped back. “Svea, wash your hand right now,” Mathilde gently instructed. “Timo, baby, how you doing? You’re doing really well…”

“What the fuck?” Svea screamed. Mathilde reached out to stroke her hair and she puled away. “No, enough bullshit! What was that? What the fuck just happened? And when the hell did Lukas learn Italian?”

“It’s Latin,” Lukas corrected. “Nice try, thanks for playing.”

“Lukas!” Mathilde shouted, reaching over to turn on the sink. “Axel, you were right sweetie,” she said, running Svea’s hand under the water as she squirted a bit of soap onto the other woman’s hand. “They’re not normal humans.”

“Yeah, that was made pretty fucking clear!” Svea spat, drawing away. Timo nodded, sighing loudly. “What is going _on_? Aside from you being _dead_!”

“They’re not even humans,” Mathilde explained quietly. “Maybe with the exception of Lukas, he’s the only really human one here.” Svea’s eyes stayed glued to Mathilde as she stepped back. Axel’s mouth hung open.

“What does _that_ mean?” Axel asked after a few moments.

“I’m human,” Lukas insisted. “I’m pretty normal.”

“You come from a long line of witches. Face it,” Timo sneered. “You’re a witch. That’s not even _close_ to normal.”

“I prefer warlock, thank you,” Lukas snapped back. “And while we’re at it, let’s talk about you,” he added, “and how you’re one hundred and twenty-four years old!” Axel smiled as Timo rolled his eyes.

“Only if you tell them how your half-brother is a fucking werewolf,” Mathilde replied. “And also, Piper’s a vampire too. She’s like what, forty-six now?” Timo nodded in confirmation as Mathilde turned back to Svea. “Ti sired her.”

“You’re… all fucking _crazy_!”

“That is a perfectly normal response,” Mathilde validated. “But… how do you explain what you just saw?” Svea shook her head. “Svea, all we want is a normal life too. Trust me, nobody means you any harm!” Svea shot her a look of disbelief. “Piper’s still… that is a fluke. Timo didn’t react like that!”

“I’m sorry, but no,” she held up her hands in defeat. “Axel, sweetie, go pack a bag or _something_. We need to leave.”

“But Mom, we should talk to…!” Axel was cut off by Svea.

“No arguments, go do it _now_!” Svea shook her head as Axel watched her leave the kitchen. “I’ll be back sometime this week to collect whatever else is here but I am not living with you psychos and I am not exposing my son to this!” 

“Mom!” Axel shouted, but Svea didn’t hear him, storming out of the kitchen and towards her bedroom.


	5. Prophecy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The house deals with the aftermath, but there's something big about to happen.

“Well, that has to be a new record.”

Mathilde watched Lukas glare at her as she walked into the living room, setting a cup of coffee in front of him. “I made it black. Like you like it,” she simply said. “So, you can only be a little mad at me.”

“I thought we told you not to…!”

“Yeah, well, you also said no eating the new roomies and that almost happened, now didn’t it?” Mathilde shot back. “And even if that little slip up hadn’t happened, what were you planning to do come full moon?”

“Send him to the woods,” Lukas simply replied.

“Oh!” Erikur barked from the stairs, walking towards the two. “Because that’s safe for me and everyone and for our cover! That is a _great_ fucking plan!” Erikur stood behind the sofa, his hands on his hips as Mathilde nodded.

“You can’t change in the house with a child!” Lukas argued.

“Then tell him the basement is some kinky sex dungeon he can’t go in!” Erikur said, shooting down his rebuttal. “Tell him it has some nuclear waste! Anything!”

“It doesn’t matter now because they didn’t even last a week,” Lukas snarled. “It could’ve been fine.”

“It would’ve been,” Mathilde insisted. “Svea and I had a moment earlier. When Arthur…”

“You were out when Arthur was here!” Lukas groaned. “I swear to God…!”

“He didn’t see me!” Mathilde shouted, on the verge of tears. “But yes, I was, and Svea was there, and we talked. And… had that little incident with Piper not happened.” Mathilde made a face. “Lukas, how many times have you cut your hand?”

“Plenty,” Lukas replied. “I’ve only seen her do _that_ on a couple occasions, when she was feeding.” Erikur nodded, trying to look away from the two as Lukas mused. “I hope for Timo’s sake she’s not.”

“I think she’s fine, no vampire is quite… _immune_ to the smell of blood.” Mathilde sighed, a bit of hopefulness in her voice. “Besides, she’s still in the withdrawal process. She’s… she’s a good kid and she’s smart. I’m not worried.”

“As long as she stays away from…”

Erikur tuned the rest of the conversation out. His heart began to beat at the speed of light as his body trembled.

What had he done?

 

**x x x**

 

“Piper.”

Piper sighed as she watched Erikur exit her room. Timo stepped in, closing the door behind him as he crossed his arms. “I fucked up, I know,” she admitted. “And I know I could’ve hurt her.”

“Or Axel,” Timo reminded her. She sighed again.

“Or Axel.”

“You’ve been clean for a year,” Timo said, but there was a bit of doubt in his voice. “A year! That… that didn’t look like the Piper I know who isn’t feeding on humans anymore.”

“It was a fluke,” Piper hissed. “Don’t act like you never had a fuck-up before! As I recall, your last feed was just this past _year_!” Timo clenches his fists as she cackles loudly. “We’re so lucky no one traced it back to you. God, I can’t believe this!”

“I also was not the one who destroyed half the male population of the school two years ago.” Timo glared as Piper rolled her eyes.

“That doesn’t make up for the century of fuck-ups you’ve had, Timo!” Piper snarled. “Sorry I scared away your little wet dream material, but what did you expect? The truth had to come out eventually!”

Timo frowned as Piper waved him off. “Whatever, I’m done. Sorry I’m not perfect.”

“Don’t go all teen angst on me,” Timo commanded, although his voice was a bit gentler than before. “Piper Anne, do you remember what I told you after you had killed the old couple down the hall from us in the early nineties?”

“I think it was eighty-nine, but go on,” Piper muttered.

“I said I wasn’t going to abandon you, because I had made the same mistakes before,” Timo said. “And that I took on this role as your caretaker, and that I wasn’t going to let you go through what I did?”

“I remember.” Piper smiled as Timo rested a hand on her shoulder.

“I still mean it. You’re right. I have almost a whole century worth of skeletons in my closet, but I grew from my mistakes, and you’ve done so well… but you can’t stop growing.”

Piper nodded. “Okay,” she simply said.

 

**x x x**

 

“Don’t you think that was… _rash_?” asked Axel. Svea looked down into her cup of coffee as she shook her head. “Mom, you didn’t give them time to explain! I think they’re… _okay_ people…”

“They aren’t people, Axel,” Svea whispered. “They’re… freaks. _Monsters_. You saw what happened. That isn’t a safe environment.” Svea made a face. “And you hated the house!”

“Mathilde showed me it wasn’t all bad,” Axel muttered as Svea groaned. “Mom, please? We can’t afford to move back… and well, we can’t afford to pay two rents…” He found it insane he was the one thinking logically, while his mother shut down. He assumed it should’ve been the opposite. “Mom, please?”

“No, absolutely not.” She shook her head. “I refuse!”

“Whatever,” he grumbled, sliding out of the booth. “I’m gonna run to the bathroom.” Axel walked away as Svea sighed, staring at her coffee as it rippled.

She wasn’t crazy. This was a perfectly sane reaction to everything that was going on in her life. She clasped her hands together, biting her lips as she closed her eyes. This wasn’t what she wanted to deal with. Not now. Not ever…

“Excuse me, ma’am?”

Svea’s eyes snapped open and she turned her neck to the source of the sound. She frowned, noticing a familiar strawberry blond man next to her table. “You’re Timo’s roommate and coworker?” he asked.

“Yeah, uh, and you’re…”

“Traian,” he reminded her. She examined his outfit, noting that it was a police uniform, not his casual clothes from the other day. “You seem a bit stressed. Perhaps you could come with me, grab a few drinks…”

“No thanks, I’m only here for dinner with my son.”

She looked down at the check, shaking her head as Traian stepped back. “Well, worth a shot. You’re too good for someone like me, anyway.”

“Mom, can we go?”

Axel walked back to the table as Traian’s eyes widened. Svea nodded, grabbing her purse as she motioned to the man. “Axel, this is Traian, a… he’s an acquaintance of Timo.”

Axel clung to Svea’s side, eyeing Traian with distrust as he smiled. “Nice to meet you, sir,” Axel managed to squeak out as Svea ushered him out. Traian watched the pair, his red eyes sparkling in mischief as his body trembled.

He smirked, displaying a single fang as he cackled to himself. “Oh, you poor woman,” he whispered. “You have no idea what’s coming.”

 

**x x x**

 

Mathilde wasn’t expecting anyone to be up at four in the morning. She crept down the stairs to see the lamp in the living room on as she exhaled loudly. Lukas didn’t so much as budge as he flipped through a page in his book.

“Mathilde,” he said simply. She nodded, but he couldn’t even see her. He turned around. “Thought so. Come here.”

She watched him shift on the sofa, patting the spot next to him as she quickly reappeared next to him. Lukas looked at her from over the top of the book in his hand. He sighed, setting it on his lap as he shifted again, this time to face her.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I really am.”

“You didn’t just fuck over the whole house…” Mathilde muttered.

“No one is to blame,” Lukas whispered. He reached over to grab her hand. “And you… I know it’s pretty hard with the whole… dead thing. And I know that one day, you’ll crossover, but until then, you’re still here. And you’re in a world where very few people can see or hear you…”

Mathilde nodded. Lukas squeezed her had tighter. “I want you to know that I’m not leaving,” he reiterated. “I’ll be here, or you can come with if we have to move. I’ll be with you. I mean it. We all will be.”

Mathilde smiled as she squeezed his hand back. “Thanks, Lukas. That means a lot.”

“You mean a lot,” Lukas said. He blinked, adding as an afterthought, “To everyone, I mean.” Mathilde smiled and closed her eyes. Lukas grumbled internally, fighting off the pink dusting his cheeks as she leaned against him.

“What you looking up?” Mathilde asked.

“I was just looking up some old prophecies,” Lukas muttered. “I do it when I can’t sleep.” Mathilde mumbled something that sounded quite similar to the word ‘nerd’ as Lukas sighed. “The vampires have some pretty fucked up shit.”

“Oh, let me guess,” Mathilde piped up. “’In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons…’”

“You did not just quote _Buffy_ at me,” Lukas snapped. Mathilde smirked as Lukas shook his head. “Well, here’s the funny part… you’re not wrong.” Mathilde sat up straight as Lukas continued, “This says there is one child who has the key to stopping all vampires. One with fiery hair.”

“Oh, sounds riveting,” Mathilde muttered.

“He…” Lukas blinked. He gulped. “He apparently is young, unaware… he doesn’t know the world, for he’s… not from here.” Mathilde blinked, watching as Lukas looked over at her. “He is of the tenth year and…”

Mathilde covered hear ears. “Enough!” she shouted. “What are you trying to get at?”

Lukas stood up, the book falling from his lap as it landed with a thud. He covered his face with his hands as he ran toward Timo’s door. “Lukas!” Mathilde shouted. Lukas pounded on Timo’s door and it flew open, with Timo stepping out.

“What the fuck?” both Time and Mathilde shouted. Lukas pressed his palms together, as if he were praying, and began to pace.

“I think…” Lukas began. “I think Axel’s in trouble.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mathilde did quote _Buffy_ 's intro. And Svea is struggling.


	6. Full Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The full moon is today, and that means some weird things are going to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nora - Nyo!Norway  
> Stefa - Nyo!Poland  
> Daria - Nyo!Romania  
> Mikkel - Denmark

Svea sighed as she sat down on, rubbing her face as she groaned loudly. After a week of looking, Svea was still not any closer to finding a new, _suitable_ place of residence for herself and Axel.

Axel had become all but reclusive. Svea worried that a lot of this pressure from moving to a whole new place and then having that trauma of the old house was wearing on him. Axel had, for the first couple days, protested and argued with Svea about the sudden move, but when she held firm, he decided the next best option was to shut down completely.

Svea sighed, shaking her head. She absolutely felt that she was the worst mother in the world most of the time. She knew that she couldn’t control everything, but she tried to make the best decisions for him. She tried, she really did…

“Svea.”

She groaned, standing up from the bench as she rolled her eyes. “Timo,” she deadpanned. “I thought vampires couldn’t be exposed to sunlight.”

Timo shushed her as he grabbed her arm, pulling her down the street as she yanked herself away. “That’s silly folklore,” he whispered. “And before you ask if I’ve come here to drink your blood, I’m not.”

“No, I guess that would be Piper’s specialty,” Svea spat. Timo’s eyes narrowed.

“Say what you want about me,” he hissed, gripping her arm tighter. “But I swear if you say anything about Piper again I will rip your fucking heart out.” Svea stepped back, her face pale out of fear. “Now, you need to listen to me!”

“And why should I? So you can lie and then turn around three days later to tell me the truth?”

“You need to move back in right now,” Timo stated. Svea’s eyes widened at Timo’s demand. “You aren’t safe. Axel, especially, is not safe.”

“We’re not safe in that fucking house either,” Svea hissed.

“Piper had a slip up, you can’t hold it against her.”

“And you?” Svea asked. Timo frowned as Svea shrugged her shoulders, shaking her head a bit. “What about you?” Timo shook his head, pulling her closer.

“I’m different,” he hissed. “So is Piper.”

“And what about Erikur? A werewolf?” Svea spat. Timo tightened his grip even more as she yelped in pain.

“Axel is in danger,” Timo reiterated. “It sounds crazy, but it’s true. There’s a prophecy, and Lukas used his caldron to…”

“Oh my God, are you using the plot of _Macbeth_?” Timo blinked in confusion as Svea groaned, adding, “The witches sees the future. Apparently your little witch friend can see the future.” Svea rolled her eyes. Timo blinked as she let her guard down, briefly. “I read.”

“I uh, didn’t quite take a liking to Shakespeare,” Timo muttered. “But that’s besides the point! Listen… I don’t know why but your son is…”

“Not coming anywhere near you!” she hissed. “If he is some kind of ‘chosen child’ and all that, the safest place is away from the people who could be a catalyst.” Timo shook his head.

“Vampires are hunters,” Timo explained. “They will follow you until you’re dead. It’s not a matter of how, only when. They will find you, and they will kill you.” Svea stepped back, shaking her head. “And the vampires here… this is the hub. The most brutal gather in Penrose.”

“You mean there’s more?” she asked.

“This is… kind of a vampire hotspot,” Timo said, with a little bit of hesitation. “And besides, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you and Axel stay safe.”

Svea frowned. “I think what would keep us safe is being far away from you.”

Svea turned and walked away. Timo groaned, shouting, “I’ll see you tonight! Staff dinner!”

 

**x x x**

 

“What’cha doing?” Piper asked, filing her nails as she leaned against the top of the doorway to the stairs, watching Erikur climb up. “Oh, is it the full moon already?” She tsk’d quietly. “Forgot to mark the calendars.”

“Piper,” Erikur whispered as she shook her head.

“How was your lunch date?” she asked. “I never asked.”

“We sat and talked about work,” Erikur muttered. “Well, he talked. I listened. Speaking of listening…”

“I think you’re hopeless, but with a little help from me, I think you can be pretty much his Romeo,” Piper said with a chuckle. “I mean, I was flirting and kissing boys before you were even thought of, so it’s like I have…”

“Piper!”

Erikur’s voice echoed through the stairwell and Piper stopped filing, sighing loudly as the echo faded. “This is about the blood thing,” she asked. “I made a mistake. An oops. You were right, blood bags are trash, and I’m sorry.” She looked away from Erikur. “I shouldn’t have made you do it, and I shouldn’t have been so selfish.”

“Piper, you’ve struggled with this for years,” he muttered. “I don’t blame you. I wish I could help, but…”

“It’s hard,” Piper whispered. “But you’re right. You can’t provide that fix for me, and if I take it, it’ll hurt everyone.” Erikur frowned as he stepped closer. “Sorry,” she apologized again.

“Come on, Pip,” he whispered, slinging his arm around her shoulder. “Let’s go somewhere for lunch, before the full moon.” She nodded. “I know, it’s hard. But it’s okay. I promise.”

She nodded again and forced a small smile on her face.

 

**x x x**

 

“Mikkel.”

“Timo,” the blond said, inhaling his cigarette. He exhaled, examining the tobacco stick as he blew smoke out from his nostrils. “Thought you wanted noting to do with the Penrose Group?”

“Well, you’re not exactly a part of them,” Timo explained, taking a seat at the table as Mikkel shrugged.

“How’s that little firecracker of yours?” Mikkel asked. Timo chuckled. “Still a wild child?”

“Always,” Timo answered.

“You still live with that _mutt_?”

Mikkel’s face twisted in disgust as Timo’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t speak of him like that,” Timo growled. “You don’t know him. He’s far better than any of these assholes we associated with.” Mikkel rolled his eyes, jabbing the cigarette into the table. “Now, I have a few questions.”

“Shoot.”

“About the prophecy,” Timo clarified. Mikkel smirked as Timo whispered, “I need to know if Traian has said anything. At all. About _anything_.” Mikkel chuckled darkly, pulling a cigarette out of his shirt pocket and offering it to Timo. Timo took it and Mikkel lit it up, before fishing another out of his pocket.

“Traian says none of us are suppose to talk to you about it,” Mikkel said. He lit his ow cigarette as Timo took a drag. “Says we’re suppose to kill you at the mention of the prophecy.”

Mikkel laughed. “Luckily, I’ve never been one to follow rules,” he told Timo. “He said that you may be more inclined to stop this prophecy. You probably knew the Chosen Kid.”

“So, he knows who this Chosen Kid could be,” Timo whispered. Mikkel nodded.

“Oh yeah,” Mikkel confirmed. “Says this kid is a walking target. Hair so red he’s surprised he never saw him before. Also said that his mom is a total MILF.” Timo rolled his eyes. “That part true?”

“She won’t date the dead,” Timo chided.

“Sucks, I was the best lay in Copenhagen,” Mikkel declared. Timo shot him a look. “Listen, he asked me to be part of a task force. Basically, he asked me to join a group to make sure the kid dies tonight.”

“So he asked you to kill Ax- I mean, the kid.” Mikkel nodded as Timo glared.

“I said I wouldn’t,” Mikkel whispered. “I knew when he mentioned your name and keeping you out of the loop, you’d be pulling shit like this. And I _always_ cheer and support the underdog.”

Timo snorted. “Gee, thanks.”

“Three vamps.” Mikkel held up three fingers. “Three coldhearted, ruthless assholes. They have no qualms killing a child. And that’s exactly their job.” Timo paled as Mikkel nodded. “I have their names too. Although, you might know this trio as the Ladies of Death,”

“Do they know where the Chosen Child is located?” Timo asked. “I mean, the kid and…”

Mikkel nodded. “They’re planning on attacking that shady little motel. Tonight.”

 

**x x x**

 

“Smells like perfume,” a woman hissed, adding, “The cheap kind.”

“Stand down, Stefa,” another woman whispered, jiggling the knob as she turned a key. Behind the two women, a tall, icy eyed woman glared at the other two blondes before her. “Nora, help me!”

Nora rolled her eyes. “Useless,” she whispered to herself as she stepped forward, pushing her two adversaries to the side as she sighed. “At this rate, I could’ve gone in and killed the kid by myself in half the time.”

“I was _hungry_ ,” Stefa whined. “And besides, we couldn’t rush. We had to make sure that ugly bitch left her son here.”

“Besides, you act like _you’re_ Traian’s favorite!” the other woman spoke, running a hand through her dark, strawberry blonde hair.

“Just because you are his sister means nothing, Daria.” Nora forced the door open with her foot, knocking it off the hinges, smirking as she tossed the key over her shoulder. “Easy. Who needs a fucking key?”

Nora entered the small motel room, humming to herself as the other two followed her in. “Oh, little Axel!” Nora called, her tone bright, yet holding dark intentions. She opened the closet as she scowled. “You can’t hide forever, little boy.”

“I don’t smell human blood,” Stefa told Nora as Daria walked into the bathroom. Nora shot her a nasty look. “I’ll check under the bed.” Stefa sighed in defeat, dropping to the floor as she lifted the bed skirt. Nora opened a few more child-sized hiding spaces as Daria entered.

“He’s not here.”

“I wonder who tipped him off…”

Nora drummed her fingers against a window ledge. “I think,” she started, “I have a pretty good fucking idea.”

 

**x x x**

 

“Hello?”

Axel was thankful he kept his skeleton key from Mathilde. He was also thankful his mother let him stay at the motel by himself instead of dragging him to that work thing she had. Well, he had faked sick.

“Mathilde, I’m here!”

The house was empty and eerily quiet as he closed and locked the door behind him. He looked around the dark living room as he made his way to the light switch, flicking it on as he sighed.

“I’m sorry I got you in trouble,” he whispered. “And that my mom freaked out. I missed you!”

There was no response and he sighed. He walked into the kitchen, looking around. He heard something muted, coming from what he believed was to have been the storage door for the kitchen. He walked over, opening it as he heard a loud shriek of pain.

“Hello?” he called down the stairs, staring at what he thought was eternal darkness. A blood-curdling scream echoed loudly as he walked down the stairs. He reached another door at the bottom of the stairs. He tried the doorknob, but noted it was locked. “Weird,” he said, grabbing his key and opening it, stepping inside the dark basement.

“Hello?” he echoed again. He looked over as he noticed a large, black figure covered in fur panting heavily. Clothes laid tossed aside as Erikur gulped. “Are you… _okay_?” he asked, taking a step forward.

The panting stopped instantly and Axel gulped. The creature snapped its head around and snarled, lunging for Axel as Axel screamed loudly. He tried to make it up the stairs, but fell back in fear. The beast snarled over him and Axel inhaled sharply.

“Shit!”

A hand reached out and yanked him from the floor and onto the other side of the door, slamming it shut as nails began to scratch against the door. Axel looked at his savior and smiled, throwing his arms around Mathide’s waist.

“There you are!” he screamed in relief.

“What the fuck?” another voice called. Axel looked up and at the top of the stairs, Piper stood, her arms crossed. “Kid, you trying to be dog chow?”

“Oh, Axel,” Mathilde whispered, kneeling down to look over him. “You shouldn’t have…”

“So…” Axel jumped as a loud howl was heard. “He’s really…”

“He is.” Piper’s eyes narrowed. “He’s not himself in this form. He doesn’t even recognize Lukas. He didn’t mean to scare you…” 

“Like you the other day?”

Axel began to walk up the stairs towards Piper as she frowned. “I didn’t want to scare anyone, no. But… listen, it’s better we put that behind us, squirt.”

“Don’t say that word,” Mathilde hissed. Piper smirked as she slung her arm around Axel and ushered him into the kitchen. “Does your mom know you’re here? We need to get you back…”

“No, she’s at that dinner, with Timo…” Piper spoke up. “And it’s _kind of_ a good thing he came over, _remember_?”

Axel looked up at the two and titled his head as Mathilde nodded. Axel opened his mouth the question what was going on, but the power flickered. “Odd,” Mathilde commented.

The lights continued to be flickered, before the whole house was engulfed in darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some filler, but some plot development...
> 
> two more chaps.


	7. Showdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nora and her crew go after Axel. The house isn't going to let them get him.

“Svea.” 

Svea sighed as she turned around, holding her keys out as if she would stab Timo with them. Timo held up his hands. “I’m not talking to you!” she spat. Timo frowned.

“Listen, I met with an old friend… you left Axel _alone_ at the motel?” he yelled. “He’s literally got a fucking target on his back!” Svea rolled her eyes as Timo shook his head. “Come on, we need to get there now!”

“You’re not coming with!” Svea shouted.

“Listen, we don’t have much time!”

Svea opened her mouth as if she was going to protest, but was cut out by the loud wailing of sirens. She watched them speed down the street, turning at the light towards the general direction of the motel. She frowned.

“Get in,” she hissed.

 

**x x x**

 

“Why is the house so fucking dark?”

Lukas opened the back door, walking into the kitchen as he set his grocery bag on the table. He could hear Erikur from the basement, going absolutely berserk as he tried the switch. He sighed, muttering about his useless landlord as he walked into the living room, a flashlight being pointed in his general direction.

“It’s just Lukas,” whispered Piper.

“What’s going on?” Lukas asked. He felt someone appear next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Axel’s here,” Mathilde whispered. “Someone cut the power. I think. We haven’t been able to check the fuse box, obviously.” Lukas blinked. “I think Svea is still at that dinner, with Timo.”

“We can’t reach Timo,” Piper commented. She was visibly shaking as Lukas huffed. He walked over to her, grabbing the flashlight.

“I know I have some stakes in my room,” Lukas said. “But, vampires can’t enter without an invite.” Piper shook her head.

“One of them has an invite,” she whispered. Lukas and Mathilde blinked. Piper assumed their mouths were wide open. “Nora does,” she explained. “She’s the ring leader. A real hard ass.”

“How was she invited into _my_ house?” Mathilde spat. Lukas elbowed her. “ _Our_ house. I thought Timo didn’t talk to anyone, aside from Mikkel?” Piper looked at her hands and shook her head. “Piper?”

“Nora just… look… Timo knows her and…”

“He’s been feeding, hasn’t he?” Lukas deadpanned.

“No! I think Nora tried to seduce him and…” Piper looked over at Axel. “There _are_ children present.” Mathilde nodded as Lukas scowled. There was a brief moment of silence as the back glass door slammed shut. Axel screamed and Piper leaned over, silencing him.

“Mathilde, take him to the attic,” Lukas commanded. “I’ll be back…”

“I’ll go talk to Little Miss Priss,” Piper spat, standing up as Mathilde grabbed Axel from her side, running towards the stairs.

 

**x x x**

 

“Oh my God.”

Svea stood with her mouth covered, watching as various bodies were removed from the motel rooms. She watched Timo walk back towards her, away from the officer he had been talking to. “He’s not here, they would’ve left his…”

“Oh, thank God,” Svea sighed in relief. Timo pulled his cellphone from his pocket and brought it up to his ear, stepping away as he tensed up. “What is it?” Svea asked.

“Axel’s at the house, and someone cut the power,” Timo whispered. Svea paled as he yanked her towards the car. “Jesus, Nora can get into the house…”

“Nora?”

“Someone I knew,” Timo whispered. “I never revoked my invitation for her to come in. That’s why you’re always careful with who you let in the house.” Svea laughed dryly and Timo shrugged.

“So, Nora is like… an ex?” Svea asked. Timo blinked as she tossed him the keys. They slid into the car as Timo started the engine up.

“Nora is more like a one-night-stand,” Timo grumbled. Svea’s mouth formed an ‘oh’ shape as Timo shrugged. “Not something I wanna get into now.”

“Fair enough.”

 

**x x x**

 

“Well, well,” Nora cackled as Piper entered the dark kitchen. “Look what the cat dragged in. Actual trash.” Piper snorted in amusement. “Come on, Piper. I know you. This can all be over.”

“Yeah, if I just hand over the kid,” Piper spat. “Not gonna happen, Nora. Where are your goonies?” Nora rolled her eyes.

“Waiting for Timo,” she simply said. Piper clenched her fists. “Piper, honey, you know we’re doing this for _you_ , right?” Piper watched as Nora stood up, pacing around the kitchen as Piper also circled her. “This kid is going to kill you too.”

“I’d rather die just for this kid to get rid of bitches like you than live and stare at your ugly mug.” Nora hissed, baring her fangs at Piper as her eyes darkened and her face tensed up. “Sweetheart, put the fangs away.”

“You should’ve died! I don’t see why Timo bothered fucking saving you!”

Piper felt the woman storm forward, the back of Nora’s hand connecting with her cheek as she was knocked down. “Where’s the fucking kid, Piper? Or else I’ll rip your goddam throat out and feed on your blood.”

Piper kicked Nora, sending her flying back as she scurried to her feet, backing up until she bumped into someone. Lukas stood behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder as he pulled her out of the kitchen.

“Little bitch!” Nora shouted. Piper watched as she ran towards them, grabbing the cross clip in Lukas’ hair and holding it up. Nora screeched, writhing in pain as she backed away. “Fuck!”

“Give me the stake, Lukas,” Piper demanded. Lukas handed her one of the two he was holding as she slowly walked closer. “This is it Nora. Call off the goons and you leave with your life.”

Nora began to laugh. Piper held out the clip, only to have her hand swatted away. Piper blinked as Nora grabbed her arm, trying to turn the stake against Piper. Lukas stepped forward, only to have Nora throw Piper into him.

“Now,” Nora said, yanking the stake from Piper’s hands. “I’m going to turn you,” she said, pointing to Piper, “into dust, and you’re gonna get drank dry, Witch Bitch.” She raised the stake above her head as Piper closed her eyes.

A loud thud was heard as Piper snapped her eyes open. She looked up as Svea set the shovel down, watching Nora fall to the ground. “She’s not even that pretty,” Svea spat. Piper sprung up, throwing her arms around Svea as the woman frowned.

“Oh my God! Bad ass!” Piper shouted. Lukas rubbed the back of his head. “Is Timo here?”

“He’s busy staking some ugly redhead. Not like, sexual or…” Svea flushed a bit as Piper smirked, chuckling to herself as Lukas walked over to Nora, reaching for the stake.

Nora flew up, grabbing Lukas and tossing him into a wall. Piper and Svea stood together as Svea raised the shovel. “Oh, honey,” Nora spat. “You come to save your little boy?”

A loud scream was heard upstairs as Svea and Piper froze. “Too late,” Nora cackled. “Go on, go get him. Or what’ll be left.”

Svea and Piper nodded and Svea ran upstairs. Piper grabbed Lukas, pulling him from the floor, and running after Svea.

 

**x x x**

 

Axel looked at Mathilde as he screamed again, with Mathilde trying to hit the woman trying to crash through the window with a candlestick. “Axel,” she whispered. “There’s a… go to your room, open the window, and _climb_.”

“Mathilde, but…”

“I’m dead as fuck, no worries!” Mathilde cheered. She grabbed a chair, hitting it against the wall as she picked up a leg that had broken off. “Go!”

Axel watched her yank the short blonde into the room and Axel ran down the stairs, flinging his bedroom door open and slamming it shut. He inhaled, grabbing a desk chair and pushing it towards the window. He opened it and sighed in relief at the lack of screens in this house.

He pulled himself up, looking down at the small roof that was over the dining room and climbed out, falling onto the roof as he looked around outside. “Axel?” a voice called and he looked down. Timo stood there in shock. “Axel, what the _fuck_?”

“Mathilde told me to!”

“We don’t take advice from her!” Timo called. “Here, I’ll get the ladder!” Axel watched as Timo grabbed the ladder, holding it up against the side of the house as Axel quickly climbed down. “Where’s the others?”

“Some chick was in the house and they sent me up with Mathilde and this crazy girl with green eyes tried to get me and…!”

Timo shushed him. “Okay, okay. It’s gonna be okay. Let’s go inside.”

Timo grabbed Axel’s hand and pulled him towards the pack porch, stepping inside as he inhaled. In the dining room sat Nora, smirking as she crossed her arms, watching as the two entered the house.

“You brought him right to me, babe,” Nora cooed.

“Touch him, and you die,” muttered Timo. “Although, at the rate this night is going, I don’t see you living at all. Give up. Daria is dead and soon, Stefa will be too.”

Nora laughed, as if it was amusing her companions had bit the dust. She stood up and walked towards Timo. Timo released his hold on Axel, moving him behind him as Nora finally reached out, pulling on Timo’s tie as she giggled.

“Oh, you’re so cute when you assume I cared about them,” she whispered. “Come on, Timo. We had good times. And well, what does this human child have to offer you alive, babe?”

“Nora, I swear on my life, you will not touch him. And if you try to, I will snap your goddam neck.”

“Hot,” she whispered, pressing her lips against his earlobes. “Now, give me the kid…”

Nora reached around, trying to grab Axel as he shrieked, dodging out from behind Timo and running to the basement door, opening it and flying down the stairs. Timo shouted, watching as Nora sprinted after him and ran to the top of the stairs.

“Oh, silly, boy…” Nora laughed. “You’ve cornered yourself. How sad.”

Axel grabbed the doorknob, gulping as Nora slowly descended down the stairs. Timo blinked as Axel flashed him a look. Timo’s eyes widened as Nora stood two steps from Axel. “Come on, let’s make this quick…”

Axel watched her dive for him as he ducked, turning the doorknob as she crashed into the door, propelling herself forward. There was a loud howl as Axel stood up. “You can hurt this one, Erikur!” he shouted, slamming the door as there was a loud scream, followed by snarling and the sound of panting and screaming.

Timo ran down, grabbing Axel as he pulled him up the stairs, closing the door that led to the stairs at the top. They sank against the door, sighing simultaneously as Timo glanced at the young boy.

“Shit, Axel,” Timo muttered. “Clever.” Axel nodded as he looked at Timo.

“Will Erikur be able to…?”

“There’s a reason vampires hate werewolves,” Timo whispered. “They can kill us with no effort. They aren’t scared. They can even hunt us if they wanted. A lot of history, a lot of bad blood.”

“What happens when a vampire dies?”

“Depends,” Timo said. “If you’re stabbed with a stake, you turn to dust. If you’re caught by a werewolf, you’ll be lucky if they can even find a body for your remains.”

Axel hummed in thought as Piper entered the kitchen. “Where’s Nora?” she asked, holding up a stake as Svea and Lukas filed in. Mathilde appeared before them, offering her hands to help Axel to his feet. Timo stood up, watching Axel run over to his mother.

“Erikur’s taking care of her.”

Axel nodded as he embraced his mother tighter. Svea wiped her eyes as she whispered quietly to him. Piper walked over to Timo, who slung his arm around her shoulders.

“Told you Nora was psycho,” Piper whispered.

“Yeah, well, you’re not wrong.”

The group stood in silence as the sounds of Erikur’s snarling and Nora’s screaming faded, until they were non-existent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the very short climax because i suck at writing action rip me


	8. Not Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the aftermath of the previous night, Svea makes a major decision, as the house realizes that they aren't in the clear quite yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is v short because i didn't want it at the end of last chapter.

“Mind telling me why there are fucking body parts all over the basement?” 

Erikur emerged from the basement, his clothes and body stained with blood as he slammed the door shut behind him.

“Well, we had three vampires try and kill Axel, and we had to fight them off,” Mathilde said, watching her teakettle hiss as she clapped her hands. “Who wants tea?” she asked.

“So you let me at one?” Erikur asked, smirking. “Thanks, I knew you guys loved me.”

“Axel let you have that one,” Piper said, watching Svea sit down across from her with a small plate of fruit. “Otherwise, I would’ve rather have staked her myself.”

“Here, you go shower!” Mathilde commanded, urging Erikur out of the kitchen. “You’ll need one. I’ll grab Timo and Lukas and they can grab the body… or what’s left of it, and they can get rid of then remains!”

Erikur left without further convincing, as Mathilde waved to the other two females, walking out of the kitchen as Svea smiled at Piper. “You really didn’t like Nora, did you?” she asked. Piper shrugged.

“Kinda hard to like someone who tried to drive a stake through me,” Piper deadpanned. Svea shrugged. “You went at her like you had a vendetta. Guessing Timo told you he was fucking her, huh?”

Svea rolled her eyes. “He could do better.”

“Right? She was obviously psycho!” Piper slapped the table, laughing dryly. “I told him, go find yourself a nice girl, and then he brings home that psycho, and like, she went bonkers when he cut her out of his life.”

Svea gave a small, empty chuckle as Piper leaned on her arms. “You’re not too bad,” Piper declared. “I normally don’t like humans. Not like they like me.”

“Well, uh, thanks?” Svea mumbled.

“Sorry for trying to eat you last week,” Piper said. “I totally get if you like, don’t wanna be around me, but like… it was a little… relapse…” She smiled. “Timo’s been big on this no blood thing. It’s all he’s preached to me since like, I turned and… well, he’s done what he can to help me stay dry.”

“Piper,” Svea interrupted. “I, uh, I forgive you. You helped Axel… and well, I guess I’m gonna have to get use to weird shit.” Piper raised an eyebrow as Svea took a sip off her coffee. Lukas and Timo walked into the kitchen, grabbing a plastic bag as Piper decided to leave Svea alone, watching the other eat in peace.

 

**x x x**

 

“Hey.”

Timo watched Svea walk up to the house, after having been gone for a few hours. “Axel still out cold?” she asked. Timo shook his head as she grinned. “Must be with Mathilde.”

“Listen, we can find a way to cover your rent,” Timo suggested. “Like, you and Axel go and find a place and you don’t even worry about here.” Svea shot him an unreadable expression. “I won’t take no.”

“Timo, uh…” Svea was cut off.

“I know that I was so hard on you to come back, but that isn’t fair to you. You’re an adult. And… well, you’re apparently a bad ass from what I hear. Piper’s words, not mine.” Svea rolled her eyes as Timo continued on. “So, uh, you and Axel… can probably take care of yourself.”

“Look, Timo…”

Svea walked over, sitting down next to him as she rested her arms on her knees. “This isn’t… I moved here to have a stress-free, calm life. The city was getting too hectic and well, there was too much baggage there…” She sighed. “But, then _this_ happened and my roommates aren’t even human… and well…”

“It’s a lot to take in, I know,” Timo explained.

“And well, the worst part is, I don’t even think I can be mad at myself for wanting to stay here.”

Timo gawked. Svea smiled and shrugged her shoulders. “Axel’s never taken to a place so quickly, and he’s never taken to anybody so quickly like he has with Mathilde.”

“What about the whole…?”

“I’m sorry I said those thing about you and Piper,” she replied. “I just… I didn’t understand. I still don’t. But… I guess we all have to watch out for each other. Obviously Axel’s important or _something_.”

“You want to stay here?” Timo asked. “In this house?” Svea nodded, raising an eyebrow as he shrugged, trying to play it off. “Cool. I mean… it’s smart. We can form a little support unit. We kind of already function like a family.”

Svea smiled and nodded. “Yeah,” she agreed.

The door swung open as the two jumped. “Timo,” Erikur panted. Svea and Timo turned around, looking at Erikur in shock. He looked ghostly white and was leaning against the frame for support. The two stood up as they followed him into the house, walking towards the front door. Erikur caught Svea’s arm, but she shook him off.

Timo and Svea stepped outside and Svea covered her mouth, falling back into the house and into Erikur, who pulled her in and turned her away from the front door. “Traian,” Timo whispered.

“What does it mean?” Erikur asked.

“It means he’s not through with us yet.”

Timo stared out into the front yard, his eyes trained on the stick in the front yard. At the top of the stick was a head – the head of Mikkel. Timo clenched his fists, cursing under his breath right before he slammed the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final installment of WtPH. The series, however, is just beginning. Svea, Axel, Timo, Piper, Lukas, Mathilde, and Erikur all have a lot of things going on, and a lot of things to discover. Pasts will be revealed, new characters introduced, and various other things will occur.
> 
> The next installment is being written right now. I'm finishing the outline up right now too. Can't say too much about the focus of this, but the title is currently _Dark Secrets_ , so that'll be fun.
> 
> Until next time!


End file.
